It's almost spring and that means kitten season is coming. If you've got too many cats on the farm or are a caretaker of a feral cat colony, we are here to help. Keep your cat crowd at a reasonable number with our low cost spay/neuter program to prevent disease outbreaks and overpopulation.Program Details:- We ask that you bring a mimimum of 5 cats (pool with your neighbors!)- Cats should not eat the morning of surgery and be dropped off by 9am- Spays are $50/cat and Neuters are $25/cat - All cats have their left ear tip removed to indicate sterilization- Cost includes anesthesia and pain medication as well as a rabies vaccine- Additional treatments are available (distemper vaccine or parasite treatment) Call today to schedule your Farm Cat appointment!

If your pet is sick, on certain medications, or about to undergo anesthesia for surgery, chances are good that your vet will recommend blood work. This important diagnostic test can help identify dehydration, infection, anemia, electrolyte imbalances, and check internal organ function including the kidneys and liver. Blood tests can also be used to check for things like thyroid function, parasitic infections including heartworm disease, and an animal's ability to form normal blood clots.Sample collection is generally fast and easy. We often get blood samples from the large jugular vein in the neck. Although it sounds a little scary, it is very safe and is the fastest place to get a fairly large sample if we need to check several different things. Alternate sites of blood collection include the front or back legs on dogs or cats, tail veins on reptiles, and the ear vein on rabbits.

Sometimes blood work is also recommended at the yearly exam for animals that seem perfectly healthy. Geriatric patients are generally dogs over 6 years of age for larger breeds and 8 years of age for small breeds and cats. With these older patients we often recommend baseline blood work as up to 40% of geriatric patients may have abnormal blood work despite not showing any outward signs of disease. This allows us to make an earlier diagnosis and start treatment before the condition is as severe. Even if blood work is perfectly normal we have gained valuable information in knowing the pet's "normal values" so that if he or she does become sick we can monitor any changes or trends.

If you have any questions about blood work or other procedures we recommend, please ask as your pet's health is always our top priority!

Brush up your cat trivia knowledge!10. Give up on the staring contest - your cat does not need to regularly blink to keep their eyes lubricated!9. Cats have 32 muscles that control their ears allowing them to rotate them independently to track sounds. Humans only have 6 muscles controlling ear movement.8. Cats often have a dominant paw. Watch them playing to determine if your cat is right-handed or a south paw!

7. Ever notice your cat sneering? This is called the flehmen response and directs strong or unusual odors into a special sensory organ called the Jacobson's organ in the top of their mouth. It is often used in mating or social interactions.

6. Cats only chew with an up and down motion without the side to side movement seen in humans and dogs. This is probably why they aren't much for bubble gum!

5. Most cats have 5 toes on their front feet and 4 on their back feet. Extra toes (up to 7 on a foot!) are relatively common and called polydactylism or "mitten kittens".

4. During an exam we always take your cat's temperature but don't be surprised when we give the results! A normal temperature is 101-102.5F. Normal heart rate is around 200 beats per minutes.

3. Everyone has spotted a cat at night based on their glowing eyes. This is due to a special layer of cells in the back of the retina called the tapetum lucidum that reflect light allowing the cat to see at 1/6 the light needed for human eyes.

2. Cats purr at the same frequency as an idling diesel engine, about 26 cycles per second. The continuous sound is made on both inhalation and exhalation.

1. Catnip only affects 50-75% of cats. If cats sniff the herb it tends to has a stimulatory effect while ingestion usually causes sedation. Some cats become more aggressive rather than relaxed when exposed to catnip so make sure to monitor each cat's reaction if you have a multi-cat home!